Flat knitting method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

A FLAT KNITTING METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BRINGING ABOUT A CHANGE IN THE WIDTH OF THE KNITTED FABRIC PARTICULARLY IN CONNECTION WITH THE KNITTING OF A COLLAR OR NECK REGION OF A GARMENT. THE KNITTING MACHINE INCLUDES A SERIES OF LONGITUDINALLY DISPLACEABLE NEEDLE ASSEMBLIES MOVABLE IN OPPOSED DIRECTIONS BETWEEN OPERATIVE AND INOPERATIVE POSITIONS, AND PRESELECTED NEEDLE ASSEMBLIES ARE DISPLACED IN ONE OF THESE DIRECTIONS BY A DISPLACING MEANS WHICH MAY BE AUTOMATICALLY ACTUATED, TO BRING ABOUT IN THIS WAY A CHANGE IN THE WIDTH OF THE KNITTED FABRIC. WHERE THE DISPLACING MEANS IS USED TO DISPLACE SELECTED NEEDLES TO INOPERATIVE POSITIONS, THE LOOPS CARRIED THEREBY ARE TRANSFERRED TO NEEDLES WHICH CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE KNITTING, AND THE DISPLACING MEANS PREFERABLY TAKES THE FORM OF SWINGABLE BUTT-ENGAGING MEMBERS WHICH TURN ABOUT A PREDETERMINED AXIS TO PRODUCE THE DISPLACEMENT OF SELECTED NEEDLE ASSEMBLIES.

W1 26, 19? M MAS FLAT KNITTING METHOD AND APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 1, 1968 INVBNTOR. MESTAE MAS aim w Oct. 26. 1971 M. M. MAS3,614,811

' Filed Nov. 1, 1968 FLAT KNITTING METHOD AND APPARATUS;

2 Shuu Ls-Sheot 2 410mm [IUIIIIHIIII""' INVENTOR VA fr/K Mia-7M ATTORNEY5 rm. Cl. D 041) 7/00 US. Cl. 66-78 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA fiat knitting method and apparatus for bringing about a change in thewidth of the knitted fabric particularly in connection with the knittingof a collar or neck region of a garment. The knitting machine includes aseries of longitudinally displaceable needle assemblies movable inopposed directions between operative and inoperative positions, andpreselected needle assemblies are displaced in one of these directionsby a displacing means which may be automatically actuated, to bringabout in this way a change in the width of the knitted fabric. Where thedisplacing means is used to displace selected needles to inoperativepositions, the loops carried thereby are transferred to needles whichcontinue to participate in the knitting, and the displacing meanspreferably takes the form of swingable butt-engaging members which turnabout a predetermined axis to produce the displacement of selectedneedle assemblies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to knittingand in particular to fiat knitting.

The present invention relates especially to that part of a knittingapparatus and method which brings about a change in the width of aknitted fabric. For example, during the knitting of the neck or collarregions of a garment it is necessary to gradually reduce the width ofthe knitted fabric.

Although there are known methods and apparatus for achieving theseresults, at the present time it is necessary to interrupt the operationof the machine in order to reduce or increase the number of needleswhich participate in the knitting operations.

Also, the known constructions are relativelycomplex and do not operatewith the precision which is desired. Furthermore, with the knownconstruction difliculties are encountered in incorporating the knownconstructions into existing knitting machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary objective of thecurrent invention to provide a method and apparatus which will avoid theabove drawbacks.

- In particular, it is an objective of the invention to incorporate intothe knitting machine needle-selecting elements which will operateprecisely at the required instants for effecting an increase or decreasenecessary to provide the desired shape to the collar or neck region of agarment.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide aneedle-selecting mechanism of the above type enabling the neck regionsof various articles of clothing to be manufactured with this type ofmachine without requiring any interruption in the operation thereof, sothat in this way an increase in the efiiciency of the machine operationis achieved.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a constructionwherein the actuation and movement of all the various components arebrought about under conditions of complete safety with the needles andjack sinkers Fnited States atent being actuated so as to be put into orout of operation in an entirely automatic manner.

Also, it is an object of the invention to provide a structure of simpledesign and precise operation which can be incorporated into a knittingmachine without any difiiculty or complications.

According to the method and apparatus of the invention the decrease orincrease in the needle assemblies participating in the knittingoperations of the fiat knitting machine, so as to provide for theproduction of clothing having decreasing width, for example, at the neckor collar regions, is brought about while transferring loops withrespect to the needles which are displaced between their operative andinoperatiive positions. Thus, the longitudinally shiftable needleassemblies include butts engaged by butt-engaging members of thedisplacing means of the invention, so that through these butt-engagingmembers one or more needle assemblies can be shifted between operativeand inoperative positions while transferring loops between needleassemblies so as to bring about the desired decrease or increase in thenumber of loops and thus provide for the garment a shape conforming to aportion thereof which changes in width such as the neck or collarregion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings which form part of this applicationand in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the primary components of aflat knitting machine carriage provided with the structure of the invention, FIG. 1 showing components situated to the right and to the left andin front of and behind the carriage;

FIGS. 2A-2F illustrate six consecutive positions of one set ofcomponents to illustrate the sequential operating which take placeduring selections of needles displaced with respect to other needles ofthis series; and

FIGS. 3A-3C are schematic longitudinal sections through the needle bedillustrating three sequential positions of the components.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, themechanism illustrated therein includes cams 1 and 2 for raising needlesat the rear portion of the carriage and cams 3 and 4 for raising needlesat the forward portion of the carriage. The illustrated structure alsoincludes cams 5 and 6 for raising the jack sinkers at the rear part ofthe carriage and cams 7 and 8 for raising the jack sinkers at the frontpart of the carriage.

The structure illustrated in FIG. 1 also includes, as shown at thecentral portion of FIG. 1, cams 9, E10, 11 and 12 which are the stitchorloop-forming cams and which are arranged in pairs, as illustrated. Thesepairs of loop-forming cams are respectively arranged at the front of andto the rear of the conventional faces of the moving carriage of theknitting machine. These stitch or loop-forming cams are analogous tothose provided in standard flat knitting machines.

' The present invention resides primarily at the zones of A, B, C, and Dof FIG. 1. The elements situated at zone A are perfectly symmetricalwith respect to those situated at zone B, and in the same way theelements situated at zone C are symmetrical with those situated at zoneB. The elements in these zones are of two types, namely cams anddisplacing means for displacing needle assemblies, this displacing meanstaking the form of buttengaging members. The latter include abutt-engaging member 13 at zone A and its equivalent counterpart 13 a atzone B. These members 13 and 13a have two basic positions, namely theshaded position representing the inoperative position and the unshadedposition representing the operative position. In addition, zones A and Binclude a butt-engaging member 14 with its symmetrical counterpart 14aat zone B, and it will be noted that there are also butt-engagingmembers 15 and 15a respectively situated symmetrically with respect toeach other at zones A and B. Finally, there are butt-engaging components16 and |16a also symmetrically situated with respect to each other atthe zones A and B. All of these members are shown in the shadedillustration in their inoperative positions and in the unshadedillustration in their operative positions. The butt-engaging elements 13and 13a perform a function different from that of the remainingbuttengaging members, as will be apparent from the description below. l

The groups of symmetrically arranged cams of the zones A and B are shownat 17 and 17a, 18 and 18a, and 19 and 19a, respectively, with thesepairs of cams carrying out separate and specific functions, as will beapparent from the description below.

The arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1 is completed by the componentsshown at the zones C and D, these components also being symmetricallyarranged and including the butt-engaging members 20 and 20a, 21 and 21aand 22 and 22a, these latter members also being illustrated in a shadedmanner at their inoperative locations and in an unshaded manner at theirworking locations. At these zones C and D there are also thesymmetrically arranged cams 23 and 23a, 24 and 24a, and 25 and 25a,these cams beIing symmetrically arranged in pairs, as is apparent fromF' G. 1.

FIGS. 2A-2F illustrate the sequence of operations which take place atthe zone A, and it is to be understood that corresponding operationstake place symmetri cally at the zone B. With the operations illustratedin FIGS. 2A-2F, the first and eighth needle assemblies of the series ofneedle assemblies are displaced with the method and apparatus of theinvention. It will be noted that a part of the cam 119 is illustrated aswell as the buttengaging members 15 and 16,, which are shown in FIG. 2Ain their operative location. A previously set pattern selectingmechanism of known construction brings about the automatic situation ofthe members 15 and 16 in the operative positions illustrated at theproper instant in a fully automatic manner. Thus, at FIG. 2A, there isillusrated the establishment of contact between the buttengaging member15 and the first needle and between the butt-engaging member 16 and theeighth needle, of a series of needle assemblies 26. In other words,these needle assemblies will in a conventional manner be provided withcomponents having the butts illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2F situated to beengaged by the members 15 and 16 so that the assemblies can be shiftedin a manner referred to below.

It will be noted that at the next position (FIG. 2B), the member 15 hasraised the first needle of the series while the member 16 has raised theeighth needle of the series. Subsequently at the position shown in FIG.2C the needle assemblies have been displaced further beyond the positionshown in FIG. 2B. These operations take place while the butt-engagingmembers 15 and 16 swing along a circular path about an axis determinedby the pivot means 27 schematically illustrated. Thus, the members 15and 16 are only required to move along circular paths while displacingthe needle assemblies axially.

Referring to the next illustration in FIG. 2D, it will be seen thatduring the continued turning of members 15 and 16, member 16 has movedbeyond the eighth needle assembly While the member 15 continues to turnwhile still raising the first needle assembly.

The FIG. 2B illustrates the parts at an instant after their positionsshown in FIG. 2D where during the continued movement of the members 15and 16 about their common turning axis the first assembly has beenraised still further and the eighth needle assembly is advancing 4 underits own momentum toward the cam 19, and at the final position shown inFIG. 2F, the members 15 and 16 have reached their inoperative positionsand the first and eighth needle assemblies will continue under their ownmomentum until they reach the cam 19.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3C, the knitting bar 28 is shown therein inthree sequential positions, respectively. At the position of FIG. 3A theneedle butt 29 of the illustrated assembly and the butt 30 of the jacksinker shown at their relative elevations with respect to the camassemblies 3, 4 and 7, 8, respectively, the structure also including thespring member 31 which in position of FIG. 3A is inoperative withrespect to the cams, 7, 8 and 3, 4. This latter position of the spring31 is maintained as a result of the rod 32 which in this position of theparts is situated within the notch 33 at the free end of the lower limbof spring 31, as viewed in FIGS. 3A-3C. The spring has an inclinedportion 34 which engages the rod 32 when the spring 31 is in itsoperative position.

The structure includes the plurality of butt-engaging members 13 and 14,15 and 16 forming the displacing means of the invention and theircorresponding symmetrical counterparts at the zone B together with thoseat the other side of the carriage, these butt-engaging members ascendingin order to place the jack sinkers and needles of the needle assembliesinto or out of operation. When the butt-engaging member 13, knownas anincreasing member, is in its unshaded, operative position, it engagesthe butts of the first two jack sinkers which are in their inoperativepositions and lifts them until the members 13 and 13a reach theirshaded, inoperative positions, thus displacing the corresponding jacksinkers and needles of the needle assemblies into operative knittingpositions, so that these members 13 and 13a of the displacing means ofthe invention can bring about an increase in the width of the fabric byintroducing more needles into the knitting operations.

In Contrast, the butt-engaging members 14, 15 and 16 together with theirsymmetrical counterparts and those on the other side of the carriage,are decreasing members and always act in unison to displace needleassemblies from operative to inoperative positions where they will nolonger participate in the knitting operations. The buttengaging members15 and 16, and their counterparts, will respectively raise the first andeighth needle assemblies of the series 26 while these members 15 and 16move from their unshaded, operative to their shaded, inoperative,positions, as described above in connection with FIGS. 2A-2F. As aresult, the needle assemblies will follow the profile of the cams 19 or19a, these cams acting as transfer cams so as to cause the loops orstitches to be transferred over to the needle assemblies on the oppositeneedle head where these loops or stitches are received. This result isachieved because just prior thereto the cams 24 and 24a have beenactuated so as to perform their specific function of opening the tonguesor latches of the needles, and also the earns 23 and 23a have beenactuated so as to perform their specific function of receiving the loopsor stitches, these cams being associated with the opposite side of thecarriage.

Once the loop transfer has been carried out, the first and eighthneedles of the series descend, and when the first needle assembly has abutt thereof impinging against the butt-engaging member 14 or 14a of thedisplacing means of the invention, with these latter members in theunshaded positions, so that the members 14 or 14a have at this time beenautomatically situated beyond their shaded inoperative positions in theunshaded operative positions by the automatic mechanism referred toabove.

At the zones C and D, it Will be noted that there are no butt-engagingmembers 16 or 16a for acting on the eighth needle assemblies.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3C, the jack sinker of each needle assembly isshown after the butt 30 thereof has been raised by the butt-engagingmember 13 or 13a until the butt 30 reaches the position shown in FIG.3C. At this time the jack sinker continues to rise due to the action ofthe cams 7 and 8 on the butt 30 of the jack sinker, until the jacksinker reaches the position shown at FIG. 3B. In this position the jacksinker has acted upon the butt 29 of the needle of the needle assemblyso as to displace the needle all the way out to the position shown atFIG. 3B. In this position the jack sinker has raised the needle to itscasting oif location, while the spring 31 remains in its operativeworking position with respect to the holding rod 32 thereof whichreleasably maintains the spring 31 in one of the other of its positionsin the manner described above.

Thus, it will be seen that the above-described structure of theinvention provides a simple and highly effective means for increasing ordecreasing the width of a knitted garment, as at the neck or collarregion thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fiat knitting machine, a series of needle assembliesdisplaceable in opposed directions between operative and inoperativelocations, and displacing means coacting with preselected needleassemblies of said series for displacing the selected needle assembliesin one of said directions to bring about a change in the width of theknitted fabric, said needle assemblies respectively including butts tobe engaged by said displacing means, and said displacing means includingswingable butt-engaging members to engage the butts of selectedassemblies to displace the latter axially during swinging of saidbutt-engaging members, said butt-engaging members turning about apredetermined axis, and said displacing means turning a plurality ofsaid butt-engaging members as a unit while engaging a plurality of saidassemblies, for simultaneously displacing the latter.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said assemblies each include aneedle and a jack sinker, and said displacing means operatingautomatically.

3. In a method of operating a flat knitting machine, having needleassemblies displaceable in opposed directions between operative andinoperative positions, the steps of displacing selected needleassemblies in one of said directions to bring about a change in thewidth of the knitted fabric, with said assemblies being displaced fromoperative to inoperative positions for reducing the width of the knittedfabric, and transferring loops carried by needle assemblies which aredisplaced to inoperative positions to other needle assemblies whichcontinue to participate in the knitting so as to be combined with theloops on said other needle assemblies.

4. In a method as recited in claim 3 and wherein the decrease in thewidth of the knitted fabric is carried out in connection with theknitting of a collar or neck region of a garment.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 254,685 10/1910 Germany 66-70 792,8874/1958 Great Britain 66-70 1,008,006 10/1965 Great Britain 66-70 RONALDFELDBAUM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 66--70

